Chapter 9 Maryellen #2
I almost threw my bowl in the sink as both of us made our way to the door. We fought over the peephole, but I won since I was taller.
“Shit.”
“Who is it?” Evie asked as she pushed me out of the way and peeped through the hole. “Holy shit.” Without hesitation, she tore the door open. “Hi, Chase!”
The man on the other side of the door handled the greeting well as we both stood staring at him.
He leaned against the doorjamb and smiled at us.
His tiny dimples were showcased through the light stubble he seemed to always have.
His eyes twinkled at Evie’s enthusiastic greeting.
He was in casual clothes, jeans, a sweater, and a puffer jacket, so not straight from the office.
There was something about him not being in a suit that made him look older for some reason, which took me off guard.
“Hi, Evie, Maryellen,” he said as he ran his hand through his light brown hair, mussing it up as he did. “Am I interrupting?”
Evie took over and dragged him in by the arm.
“Of course not, I was just leaving. We had a quick dinner, but I have things to do, so I’m outta here.” She filled her bowl and wine glass again before heading back toward the door. “I’ll take a refill with me and be on my way. You two have a good night…”
Then she was gone.
And it was Chase and me.
Alone.
With Evie gone, the room became very quiet.
As Chase walked around my apartment, his height was exaggerated in the compact space, and it started feeling as if the walls were closing in on me.
My breathing hitched as I watched him glide through the room, not sure of the reason for his visit.
He stopped at the table by my couch and touched the petal of a white rose.
“They look even better arranged in a vase.” He looked at me before gesturing back to the flowers. “Was Evie here because of these?”
He cut straight to the point.
“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “But all she knew was you sent them. I couldn’t tell her much else.
I don’t know why. I may have if you hadn’t shown up.
” My legs got all shaky as he stared at me, making me need to sit before I fell over.
Once I did, I gazed up at the man who filled my thoughts each night as I lay in the bed behind me, unbeknownst to him. “Chase, why are you here?”
“Did you read the note with the flowers, Mare?”
I nodded.
“Your place is nice,” he said, changing the subject.
I laughed. Hard.
“What’s funny?” he asked.
As he continued surveying my studio apartment, I felt the urge to tidy up my almost perfectly tidy space. My place was perfect…for me. Not so much a Parker. My entire apartment could probably fit inside his foyer.
“Nothing,” I said.
He continued looking around, which didn’t take long. First, he admired the few picture frames I had on a table near the window, picking up the one of me and Evie at the beach. Then he spent a moment looking at my bed. The crisp bedding and bountiful pillows were one aspect of my space I loved most.
“It suits you. It’s exactly how I’d expect it to look,” he said, returning his attention to me.
His comment made me feel…exposed. And raw. Like he saw inside my soul simply by standing here with me.
Like he could figure out my secret. And what would he think of me if he did?
He continued looking around my space. He reached down, picking up my writing journal, and I froze.
“What’s this?” he said. Thankfully he didn’t open it.
As I walked closer to him, he handed it to me. He appeared to understand it was something of importance.
“It’s just a journal, I write sometimes.”
He left it at that.
Then he wandered back to the table, to the flowers, and found the note still tucked inside them. He took hold of it, pulling the cards slightly from their envelope.
“Well, this should explain why I’m here.” He looked at me again.
He sat next to me, taking my hand in his.
“If my brother is the only thing standing in our way, I can take care of him. He won’t be a problem, I can promise you that.” He threaded our fingers together as he spoke, rubbing the back of my hand.
If that were the only thing standing in our way, I wouldn’t be concerned either.
I couldn’t tell him. Or could I?
“I can see the wheels turning. What’s going on in your head right now? Talk to me, tell me what you’re thinking.”
I stood, needing to break away from the contact. He was distracting me.
“I don’t know, Chase, it’s all so confusing.
When I’m with you, it’s what I want. I know you know that, you can feel it.
” I turned toward him to see a smile reach his eyes.
“But it’s more complicated than you even know.
We can’t be together. I can’t risk it, and you don’t understand, I know that.
Part of it is Gage, I think it would make things difficult at work, but he’s not the only reason. ”
Chase’s brows came together once I finished.
His mouth opened to talk but closed before any words came out.
He avoided looking at me, choosing instead to walk to the window and look out onto the street.
He was quiet for several minutes. Long enough that it got awkward.
Turning around, he took off his jacket and placed it on the small chair by the window, which was a surprise.
He planned on staying, even after what I’d said.
He took measured steps until he was in front of me, reached for my hand, and pulled me close.
“So, what I got out of that is you want to be with me.” His sly smile made me laugh out loud.
“Most good things in life come with risks, babe. If we don’t take the risk, we don’t reap the reward.
” He pulled me into him, our bodies flush against one another.
“You are definitely a reward worth fighting for.”
His fingers lifted my chin as his mouth lowered to mine. There was no fighting on my end.
I didn’t want to.
The chaos in my brain battled the emotions within my heart. I fought my brain, really hard, because my heart wanted to win today.
Our mouths connected, our lips touched, our tongues intertwined.
I breathed him in as his hands wrapped around my waist, my ass, pulling me closer.
“The question is,” he continued, “do you want me to fight for you?”